The Estancia Home

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The Estancia Home Blends Old European Architecture with Modern Desert Living

This Spanish Revival-inspired home in La Quinta, CA lends itself to today’s upscale desert homes and lifestyles, according to architect Frank Stolz, of Southcoast Architects. “The Estancia” that he recently designed as a second home for his client, the Taylors, blends the beauty and elegance of Old European architecture with contemporary elements that create a welcoming and comfortable desert oasis for family and friends.

The 8,000 square foot home is located in the prestigious golf community of PGA West, which offers stunning views of this world class golf course and the Santa Rosa Mountains beyond. The front façade features a turnabout motor court surrounded by a water trough, which creates a relaxing, cooling effect for visitors as they arrive.

The entry foyer is a point of welcome that leads guests into a gallery complemented on one side by a verdant courtyard that helps transcend the indoor/outdoor feel of the home.

An expansive floor plan gives the great room a wide open feeling with stunning views of the golf course through the use of large pocket doors that fold back and open the home completely to the outdoors. The great room is flanked not only by the kitchen nook, but a large bar lounge that is the focal point for entertaining.

“In addition, the bar lounge features a unique cascading water element that creates a beautiful spectrum of colors while offering a cooling effect in this desert environment,” explains Stolz.

One of the most unique spaces in the home is the dining room. “Our client asked us to create a dining experience that made them feel as if they were entertaining in a wine cellar without compromising the amazing view they have,” says Stolz. “To achieve that, we used materials reminiscent of being in a cellar, which immediately led us to the Eldorado Stone brick line. Its tumbled, weathered style combined with an overgrout technique used in the installation gives it such a realistic look that it’s hard to believe it’s not centuries old brick we shipped from Europe.”

Stolz adds, “The dramatic application of brick is used extensively in the space, covering the walls and the entire ceiling, which was designed in a barrel shape to create an even stronger wine cellar ambience.” Soffits were installed near the ceiling with a series of interesting brick patterns and then back lit to highlight the deep, rich colors found in the brick. “For an added touch we actually created a wine cellar below the dining room that can be seen through a glass floor. By doing so, we were able to visually bring the wine and the cellar up to the dining experience.”

Further enhancing this Spanish Revival home’s design, the fireplace in the dining room features a rich detail of rare cobalt blue stone, which is a continued theme throughout the home. The stone is similar to what Stolz saw in his travels to Europe and in particular, Seville, Spain, where he stayed at “The Alfonso,” a hotel rich with architectural detail and history.

“The Taylors love everything about their new home,” says Stolz. “We captured the look and feel of what they wanted by carefully blending the old with the new and using materials like Eldorado Brick to ahieve our design goals.”

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